Romans: Jesus Is The Justifier
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Romans: Jesus is the Justifier
Romans 3:21-30
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
A preacher and his son were traveling down a street, and they saw a house that was on fire. They realized that there may be danger inside the house, and so they went and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Finally, they broke the door down and went in. They could not find anybody in the house, but they took all the furniture out of the house and set the furniture outside the house while the fire department was on the way. Later, the preacher thought that was a great illustration, and decided to use it in his sermon. After he told the story, the people looked at him kind of strangely. When he got home, he did as preachers are prone to do and discussed the sermon with his wife. He said, “You know somehow I thought that was a good illustration, but it just fell flat.” She said, “I’ll tell you why. You forgot to tell them the house was on fire.”
It was the bad news that the house was on fire that made it good news that they saved the furniture. Similarly, when we talk about the Gospel, we often fail to tell people the bad news that makes the Gospel message good news.
As we continue our study of the bible about Jesus, our focus today is on Paul’s letters and first Epistles in the Bible, the book of Romans. Paul has written several epistles or letter. He wrote the books of Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus and Hebrews.
Before moving into the background of the book of Romans, let me emphasize, why the book of Romans is important in our life journey as a Christian. It is because with this book, revival happened. Here are some examples:
Aurelius Augustine of Hippo, a renown theologian, and a great writer, was converted to the encounter with Romans 13.
Martin Luther, an eventual leader in the Protestant Reformation, struggled with his guilt before God until he understood the meaning of Romans, particularly chapter 1:17.
John Wesley, also a known theologian and an evangelist who led the revival movement within the church of England, was transformed through the reading of Martin Luther commentary on the book of Romans.
Great things happened when we understand the book of Romans; and I am sure that even now in our current time, people still experience transformation and revival with this book.
The book of Romans was written by Paul in 57 A.D. Paul had been a Christian preacher for about 20 years when he wrote the book of Romans. He wrote it during a three month stay in Corinth with the help of scribe Tertius and there are sixteen (16) chapters in the book. (Just a side comment, Paul also wanted to visit Rome, and eventually got to Rome as a prisoner.)
I know that our confidence in the gospel will increase, when we know who is writing this great letter. Paul, a former persecutor of the church, turned into a servant of the church and messenger of God’s grace in Christ. He wrote these letters not because of his academic knowledge but based on his own experiences and life changing power of God’s good news. Before we dig deeper into the book, let us go over the overview of the book of Romans.
The Overview of book of Romans:
Chapter 1 – 4. The revelations of God’s righteousness and God’s power to save His people (Jew & Gentiles).
Chapter 5 – 8. The creation of New Humanity through Jesus Christ (New Adam).
Chapter 9 – 11. The fulfilment of Gods promises to Israel in the past. (New Covenant)
Chapter 12 - 16. The unification of the Church through love and forgiveness.
As we go through this book, I want us to understand the gospel in depth. I know we can assume that we have a certain amount of knowledge of the gospel. I know that is why we are all here. As a believer, we have enough knowledge of the gospel that we have been redeemed, but we also need to understand that there are depths and riches in the gospel that are very often overlooked or missed. There is an overwhelming and great reality that Christ came to die and to rise again for our salvation; and this morning I want to address or share that reality with you from the third and fifth chapter of the book of Romans.
The book of Romans is filled with the gospel of God’s power for salvation. It shows the following key points:
The righteousness of God through faith for all who believe and the wickedness of human
The need for justification through faith because of our sin.
The results of justification by faith in terms of both present experience and future hope.
If you read the opening of the 1st chapter of Romans, you can see Paul immediately emphasized the “GOSPEL OF GOD”. The gospel that transformed his life through his faith in Jesus and it is the same reality that will rescue us from eternal damnation through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul also expresses his sorrow that many of his fellow Israelites have not embraced the gospel, and he wrestles with the theological implications of this. He concludes by describing how the gospel should affect one’s everyday life. It will also explain to us the full revelation of the Gospel.
In this study we will go through four (4) important factors from the book of Romans, particularly in Chapters 3 & 5 that Paul is conveying to the Romans, to the Jews and to the gentiles. I believe that this can help us also in our spiritual walk and in depth understanding of the GOSPEL - The “Good news”! Let us start on our first point:
I. The Need of Justification
What is Justification? The common understanding of this word is that it is an action showing something to be right. In the Bible – Theology, it is the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God.
Romans 3: 21 says, “But now, the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.”
Do you know the biggest problem of humans? That God is holy, He is just, He is righteous, and we are not. Three characteristics of God we need to know:
God is Holy.
There is no trace of evil in His character.
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Psalm 96:9 “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”God is Just.
Psalm 25:8 “God is fair and just”
Romans 3:20 “For the works of the law no human will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”God is Righteous.
He is upright in all His ways. He operates with honesty and does the right things.
Romans 3:26 “He demonstrate His righteousness at the present time”
Psalm 119:142 “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth”
Romans 3:23 further says that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one is righteous, no one can come to God. Why? Because of our sin! The sin that is in us and outside of us.
We have a big problem because man cannot be together with God as we are like a filthy rug. Another important problem people have these days is unawareness of sin and are not admitting or not knowing that we are all sinners. No one would like to talk about the sin of the world, and no one want would accept the accountability with God. Sin is being erased in our time today.
In Job 9:2, it says “Job asked the most important question. “How can a man be in the right before God?”
Job 9:20-22 “Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, He would prove me perverse. I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe (disgust or dislike) my life; It is all one, therefore I say, He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.”
No matter how he searched his life as blameless his own perception is limited in how we can be right with God?
It seems like there is no way to win this case to God, no matter, what we do, or what other people do.
In Romans 3:9- 18, the verses say that we are dead to sin and there is no way for us to see the righteousness of a Holy God. What about the law? Paul answers the question, the Law will show us the righteousness of God; but through that, we are all guilty, as no one can abide in that law. People asked, why established the law in the first place if we cannot follow it? That is exactly the right answer; no one can abide in the law, and we cannot be made righteous by the law. The purpose of the law is not to save anyone but to condemn everyone.
So here is God as the Judge - in the court room set up. We are all facing God, he presented all evidences in verse 10-18 and he pronounce the verdict in verse 19-20. We are all found guilty. The question is: how can we be right with God?
These are the basic questions that every religion tries to answer: “How should a man be right with God? How do you become right with God?”
God punishes sinners, and God punishes the guilty who are sinners. How can that change? How can a man be right with God and particularly with a God who is holy? Humans need a way to escape the wrath of God against all unrighteousness. We need to be justified to be right with God. Human race problem did not stop here!
God Himself knows the way we can be right with Him - a gift for us to be justified as righteous. And that’s the Good News of God!!
Let us now go to our second point which is the gift of justification. We have enough of the bad things now we need some hope.
II. The Gift of Justification
Romans 3: 22 - 24 say: “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile that (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
There is a notion that salvation can be obtained in so many ways. One of them is good work or in God’s favor we can put an effort to find right with God. I remember sharing the gospel during our missions’ trips and oftentimes, the answers when I asked, why should a person be let into the heaven were “I am a good person, I go to church every Sunday, I help my parents, I give to the church.”
We all think at one point in our lives that the way to God is by our own effort, or that God will give us a favor in our own efforts. If we want to find a way to be right with God, it is not to be found in us or any religion that people invented or any sacrifices we may offer. The Bible is clear: “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”
Thank God that He provided a solution or a remedy for our dilemma as human! This is God’s great plan of salvation that was prophesied in the Old Testament and now revealed in the New Testament. God who condemns us must also the one who will give righteousness to save us.
In Ephesians 2: 8-9, it says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Jesus was given to us a gift - our justifier; and through faith in Him, we will be justified and be righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus is the perfect model of righteousness.
God Himself resolved our dilemma and provided an answer to our problem. However, there are three important truths that we need to know as justified believers.
A. It is through faith. We are justified through faith. Romans 3:22 says, “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.”
All men trust on something, but the Christian trusts in Christ. Gospel righteousness is a gift through faith. Many people say, “I trust in God”, but this is not what saves us. It is personal, individual faith in Jesus Christ that saves us and justifies the lost sinner.
B. It is for all men. Justification is offered to all men. God gave His law to the Jews, not to the Gentiles, but the good news of salvation is through Christ that is offered to all men. All men need to be saved, and there is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles when it comes to condemnation.
Romans 3:23 reminds us that “we all fall short from the glory of God.” God declared that all men are guilty of sin, but God can offer to all men His free gift of salvation.
C. It is by grace. Justification is offered due to God’s grace.
As He relates to the world, one of His biggest traits is LOVE. In John 4:8 we all know that God is Love. When God relates His love for you and me, it becomes grace and mercy. God’s mercy does not give us what we deserve, and God’s grace gives us what we don’t deserve. Because of His mercy and grace, we are justified without a cost from us. It’s a FREE Gift!
We received the gift of justification for free and we are not worthy of it. But it cost God the Father His son. (This is clearly pointed out in John 3:16). Let us go to the third point.
III. The Cost of Justification
Romans 3: 25-26 says: whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
An apologetic once says - “We will never see the magnitude of our sin, unless we see the beauty and the wonderful work of the Cross of Jesus Christ.”
Salvation is not free, and it is not cheap. Our Lord Jesus sacrificed His own life and served as our justifier. Three words express God paid for our salvation that we should take note of:
A. Propitiation – In the dictionary, it means “Appeasing someone who is angry, usually with a gift”. But this is not what it means in the Bible. It is the satisfying of God’s Holy law. It is the meeting of its just demands so that God can freely forgive those who come to Christ. Jesus Christ became the propitiation for our sins, so that we can be justified before God.
B. Redemption - Meaning the action of saving someone from eternal damnation or being saved from sin or clearing a debt to be paid. Romans 5: 8-11 says Jesus died for us from the wrath of God, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we are still sinner, Jesus has already redeemed us!
C. Blood – Romans 3:25 says: “Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood.” Jesus who has no sins bear our sins, and He paid the penalty of our sins on the cross. Jesus must die to satisfy the law and justify the lost sinners. We have now been justified by his blood. God’s wrath was brought to Jesus for us to be reconciled with God.
From the condemnation to reconciliation forever…the results of justification by faith in terms of both present experience and future hope. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Justification that fulfilled the demands of the law.
Let’s go back - First, we have The Need, second - The Gift, third - The Cost and last but not the least, we have The Blessings of justification.
IV. The Blessings of Justification
Romans 5:1-5 say “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Through these verses, Paul was also informing us that our justification is not simply a guarantee of heaven, but also a source of amazing blessings that we will enjoy now. We are blessed because we have been justified! Isn’t that amazing, but really, how?
Let us look at the following blessings of being justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ:
A. Peace with God
Romans 5:1 says, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God declares us righteous which is a declaration of peace through Christ dying on the cross.” We are reconciled with God which brings us peace.
B. Access to God
Romans 5:2a – “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” When Jesus died, He tore the veil and broke down the wall. Believing Jews and Gentiles have access to God, and we all have access to God.
C. Glorious hope
Romans 5:2b – “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” This is taking care of the future glory that we will experience. We will share in His glory being justified before God. Remember in Romans 3:23 that “we fall short from the glory of God” now “we rejoice of the glory of God.”
D. Christian Character
Romans 5:3-4 – “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” We will all go through some trials and tribulation in life, but for believers, trials work for us and not against us.
James 1: 2-3 Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
I know there are more blessings in stored for us. But, in all these truths, we can rest assure that our Justification through faith in Jesus Christ is certain and secured through eternity.
Romans 8:34-35 It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.[a] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
If God is speaking to you right now, wherever you are and you have this question, “How can I be right with God?”, please pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need you, I know I am a sinner, forgive me from all of my sins and, Please come into my life as my Lord and Savior. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, I do believe that God has forgiven you. As the Bible said, “by faith we are justified through Jesus Christ.”
“True faith will inevitably manifest itself in the performance of works of obedience. The performance of works are the result of faith and the fruit of justification.”
- R. C. Sproul
-Rev. Roldan Manlapig